Two SME members elected to National Academy of Engineering
Two longtime SME members, Barb Filas and Leonard Harris, were elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Filas and Harris were among 111 new members and 22 international members, announced NAE President John L. Anderson. This brings the total U.S. membership to 2,388 and the number of international members to 310.
Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.” Election of new NAE members is the culmination of a yearlong process. The ballot is set in December and the final vote for membership occurs during January.
Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during the NAE’s annual meeting on Oct. 2, 2022.
Filas, is partner, Filas Engineering and Environmental Services LLC, Grand Junction, CO. She was SME’s first female president, serving in that role in 2005 and was instrumental in the creation of SME’s Environmental Division. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for business leadership, mining engineering achievements, and being a role model especially for young women mining engineers.
Harris president (retired), B&H Mine Services, Nashville, TN. Is a highly-regarded metallurgist and business executive. He served as vice president of metallurgical operations for Newmont in 1992 and was named general manager of Mineral Yanacocha Co in Peru. He was named elected to the National Mining Hall of Fame in 2017. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to the development of mineral resources in Peru and advancing humanitarian programs in associated communities. n
